Civil Litigation & Appeals

Experienced Southern California Civil Litigation Services for Community Associations

At Epsten, APC, we are trusted by California’s leading community associations to resolve complex disputes through strategic litigation and appeals. With decades of focused experience, our team provides results-driven representation that protects your association’s rights and operational stability. Firm believes in pursuing all avenues to dispute resolution including:

  • Negotiation
  • Trial strategy assistance
  • Discovery assistance
  • Pre-litigation strategy consultation
  • Settlement analysis
  • Damage analysis and quantification

The firm’s civil litigation practice provides well thought-out and assertive representation of our community association clients in litigation matters. We pride ourselves in successfully and cost-effectively guiding our clients through all stages of the litigation process.

Common Types of Litigation We Handle

You’ve been served! Whether your community association is initiating or responding to a legal action, our experiences litigation attorneys are prepared to assert your rights. We have represented clients in a broad spectrum of civil litigation matters, including:
  • CC&R enforcement
  • Breach of fiduciary duties
  • Contract litigation
  • Personal injury and property damage claims
  • Fair Housing Act
  • ADA claims
  • Quiet title actions
Our litigation team guides clients through every stage of the dispute process- from initial analysis and discovery through trial, and, when necessary, writs and appeals. Our process includes investigation of the facts, fact finding, representation in hearings and non-jury and jury trials, pursuit of the recovery of attorney’s fees for our clients if provided by law.

Representation Across Southern California Courts

We have a well-deserved reputation for civil litigation success in Southern California, having represented clients in the courts of San Diego, Riverside (including the Coachella Valley), San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles and Imperial Counties. Our firm’s attorneys have extensive experience arguing cases in California state and federal courts.

Strategic Appellate Advocacy for Community Associations

Our appellate attorneys have taken on some of the most challenging legal issues impacting community associations — in particular including the attorney-client privilege, issues involving the Open Meeting Act, the association’s right to a jury trial in certain types of disputes, the business judgment rule as it applies to the unique corporate context of a community association, and more. We provide our clients a wide range of appellate assistance, including work at the trial level to frame legal arguments for appeal, particularly on case-dispositive and post-judgment motions, drafting extraordinary writ petitions, strategic analysis of when and where to pursue further review, amicus curiae briefs affecting the community association industry in general, and, of course, briefs and oral argument in appellate courts. We are frequently retained by outside counsel after trial to bring an appeal and often work with trial counsel. We actively monitor appellate developments relevant to our clients’ industries to alert them to the potential effect of pending cases and forthcoming rulings.

Our Strategic Advantage: Integrated Litigation & Appellate Team

At Epsten, APC, our litigation, appellate, and transactional teams work in close coordination to provide our community association clients with a seamless and strategic approach to legal representation. This integrated structure ensures continuity of knowledge, consistency in legal strategy, and efficiency in execution—especially in high-stakes or precedent-setting disputes. When litigation leads to appeal—or when appellate intervention is needed mid-case—our clients benefit from:

Seamless Handoff from
Trial to Appeal

Because our litigators and appellate attorneys operate as a unified team, we maintain full continuity in case knowledge, legal arguments, and factual records. This minimizes the risk of procedural missteps and maximizes the efficiency of appellate review.

Informed Strategy Built
from the Trial Record

Our appellate attorneys are often involved early in the litigation process, helping shape trial-level strategy with an eye toward preserving key legal issues for potential appeal. This foresight is critical when handling dispositive motions, evidentiary rulings, and post-trial procedures.

Deep Institutional Knowledge of Community Association Law

Few firms can match the depth of our experience. Our cross-disciplinary insight into governing documents, statutory obligations, fiduciary duties, and regulatory compliance allows us to craft arguments and legal strategies grounded in the realities our community association clients face.

This collaborative model enhances the quality of representation we provide at every phase of the dispute process—from pre-litigation strategy through trial, appeal, and beyond. It also positions our firm as a trusted, long-term legal partner to boards, managers, and association stakeholders navigating today’s increasingly complex legal environment.

Facing a community association dispute? Contact our litigation and appellate team for a confidential consultation and strategic evaluation of your case.

JOSEPH A. SAMMARTINO, ESQ.

Practice Chair

Joseph A. Sammartino

Shareholder
Litigation Department,
Co-Chair
Read Bio

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